Methods and system for manufacturing lead battery plates

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and a system for manufacturing a lead or lead alloy plate lattice for a lead-acid battery, comprising continuous extrusion of a melt of lead or lead alloy under temperatures lower by 10-100° C. than the melting point of lead, or the lead alloy, the extrudate being subsequently subjected to a flattening process under a temperature lower by more than at least 230° C. than the melting point of lead or the lead alloy, with a total draft rate less than 10%, and thereafter the extrudate may be processed so as to manufacture a plate lattice.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a lead, or lead alloy, plate lattice for a lead-acid battery, comprising the steps of:
 continuously extruding the lead, or lead alloy, under temperatures lower by 10 to 100° C. than the melting point of the lead, or the lead alloy, 
 flattening of an extrudate thus formed under a temperature lower by more than at least 267° C. than the melting point of the lead or the lead alloy; 
 wherein said step of flattening of said extrudate provides a total draft rate less than 10%, and 
 processing the extrudate so as to manufacture the plate lattice wherein an anode lead or lead alloy plate is manufactured, wherein cooling of the extrudate is controlled to provide a grain size of said plate of 50-300 μm. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening is performed under a temperature selected from the group consisting of lower by more than at least 287° C. below the melting point of lead or the lead alloy, lower by more than at least 297° C. below the melting point of lead or the lead alloy, and lower by more than at least 307° C. below the melting point of lead or the lead alloy. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening step of said extrudate provides a total draft rate selected from the group consisting of less than or equal to 5%, less than or equal to 3%, less than or equal to 1%, and less than or equal to 0.5%. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1  wherein a coolant to cool the extrudate is provided in a die block during the extrusion. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1  wherein a coolant to cool the extrudate is provided after the extrudate's passage of a die block. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising setting at least one supply parameter of a coolant based on a desired grain size of the extrudate, said supply parameter being selected from a group consisting of supply position, supply rate, coolant temperature, coolant pressure and type of coolant. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said setting is achieved by positioning a supply inlet for said coolant in a longitudinal-direction of the extrudate. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said setting is at least partially achieved by selectively feeding the coolant to at least one of a plurality of supply inlets, which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the extrudate. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the type of coolant is selected from a group consisting of air, inert gas, liquefied gas, water, oil, cutting fluid, aerosol, vapor, a combination of at least two thereof or no coolant at all. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising sensing a temperature in a die block, and setting the supply parameter based on the temperature. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a cathode lead or lead alloy plate is manufactured, wherein cooling of the extrudate is controlled to provide a grain size of said plate of 10-50 μm. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a cathode lead or lead alloy plate is manufactured, wherein said cooling is controlled to provide a grain size of said plate of 10-20 μm.